


The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

by Lumelle



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Presents, Domestic, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Thorin is a Softie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-07 22:30:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5472932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumelle/pseuds/Lumelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's almost time for Christmas, which means a holiday family gathering at the Durin mansion. Of course, before that, there are a thousand other things to get through. Such as trees. And windows. And shopping trips, and...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Oh Christmas Tree

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter was written for the prompt "Told you the tree was too big."

"That tree is too big, just so you know."

"Now, don't be ridiculous." Thorin frowned at the Christmas tree he was supposed to get indoors. "If it was small enough to get through the door without touching the sides, it wouldn't be much of a tree, now would it?"

"I'm sure there's something between a branch and whatever this monstrosity is. In fact, I suspect a branch off that would do us just fine! How did you even get it on the car?"

"Some trying, a little ingenuity, and help from Dwalin." Who had insisted on being dropped off before they got here, the lazy sod. No matter. He could get the tree inside by himself.

"Now why doesn't it surprise me that you would be corrupting your poor younger cousins?" What? This was hardly corrupting anyone. And Dwalin wasn't that much younger, really, at twenty-eight to Thorin's thirty. "And it's not just getting it inside that's the problem. That thing is going to need its own room!"

"It will be fine, just you wait and see." He just needed to get it inside, and set up, and then Bilbo would have the greatest Christmas tree of all.

"Oh, I definitely can't wait to see this." Bilbo shook his head. "Well, if you need me, I'll be in the kitchen. Safely out of the way of any wildly flailing tree limbs, mind you."

"Right, right. Could you make some coffee while you're in there? I'm sure this won't take long."

Bilbo murmured something that sounded suspiciously like "famous last words" before disappearing inside, thoughtfully leaving the door open for Thorin to get the tree in. Which he would do, as soon as he got it off the car. Which would be no problem, he'd gotten it on it, after all.

After far too much time, countless needle pricks, and enough swear words to probably make Dwalin's ears blush if he'd been around to hear, he did, in fact, get the tree into the living room. This was when Bilbo appeared, the faithless little thing, clutching a cup of coffee since he was evil like that. He was lucky Thorin loved him, really.

"It's not going to fit, you know."

"What are you talking about?" Thorin frowned. "I got it in here just fine!"

"Oh, sure, you got it in through the doorway." Bilbo rolled his eyes. "Now get it up, then."

"I will." This wouldn't be a problem. He'd made sure he had a tree stand ready, so it wouldn't even take too long. He just needed to get the tree up and into the stand and then it'd just be a matter of making sure it was nice and straight. Absolutely no problem.

Except when he managed to lever the tree reasonably upright, only to realise that completely upright wasn't going to happen, as the top of the tree was already pressed against the ceiling before he got it anywhere near pointing directly up.

"Told you the tree was too big." Well, Bilbo didn't need to get all smug about it. "You know, I think you're too used to your parents' mansion. This would probably be a very fine fit there. Too bad our home is just a teeny tiny bit smaller."

"This is easily fixed." He lowered the tree back to the floor — and managed not to knock anything over, too, he absolutely had this — and went to get his toolbox. Bilbo had chuckled at it when he had bought it, voicing his doubts that Thorin would ever actually make use of its contents, but clearly Thorin was the one who had the last laugh here. He had the toolbox, and inside the toolbox he had a small saw, and that was absolutely the only thing he needed to fix this.

Except he'd just barely gotten back to the tree and braced his saw when Bilbo interfered again. "Wait!"

"What is it now?" Okay, now he was getting frustrated. "I'm trying to fix the problem, here!"

"Right. Two points." Bilbo lifted a finger. "One, if you start sawing wood in the living room of all places, which I just cleaned by the way, I'm damn well going to spend my holidays with my cousins. Take it outside if you still want to try making it fit. It's bad enough we're going to still be finding needles in the corners come July."

"Right." Thorin frowned but nodded. He didn't like the idea of Bilbo leaving, and honestly it wasn't that big of a deal, it wasn't like he wouldn't have cleaned up after himself, but he could see the point. Bilbo had spent a lot of time cleaning, and he should respect that. "Sawing outside, got it. And what's the second point?"

"Now, I'll admit I'm not the crafty one in the house," now, Bilbo's lips tugged up into a smile, "but I can't help but think the end result will be much more pleasant if you cut off extra from the bottom and not the top."

Thorin was about to protest — clearly it was the top of the tree that was the problem here, it was what reached the ceiling after all — but then reconsidered. "I suppose you're right," he admitted grudgingly. It would be fine, anyway. He just needed to get the tree back outside, maybe take some measurements, and cut it to size. This would be easy.

Which was obviously why he was still outside an hour later, trying to get a nice, even cut on slightly frosty wood without losing any of his fingers in the process.

"Thorin, come inside." Bilbo was standing in the doorway when Thorin looked over, hands tucked into his armpits to keep them warm. "You'll catch your death of a cold out there!"

"I'm fine." He'd damn well get this finished. "I'll get the tree sorted out, and then I'll come inside."

He turned back to the tree, frowning down at the cut he'd made. Maybe his saw wasn't quite up to the task. He was still staring at the troublesome thing when he heard Bilbo walking up to him, then felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, Thorin. What are you trying to prove?"

"I'm not trying to prove anything." He looked up. "I just want to get this tree cut and inside so we can decorate it."

"Why are you so stubborn about this, anyway?" Bilbo frowned. "Are you that desperate to be right about the stupid tree? It doesn't matter anyway, probably nobody's going to see it but the two of us. We won't even be home on Christmas, it's not that big of a deal."

"It is, though." That was exactly why it was a big deal.

"Thorin, please." Bilbo's voice softened. "What's going on here? Clearly it's not just about decorating a tree."

"It's just…" Thorin sighed. "It's, well. This is our first Christmas living together."

"Right." Bilbo nodded.

"And I want us to have a proper Christmas tree." This made sense, right? He wasn't just being stupid? "Even if we're going to spend the Christmas with my family, I want us to have the tree. Because our home matters, too. It shouldn't just be some afterthought."

"Oh, Thorin." Bilbo's expression softened, and he crouched down next to Thorin. "Of course our home matters! I'd never say anything else. It absolutely matters. But it doesn't need to be big and grand to be good, and I absolutely don't want you freezing yourself for it, or sawing your fingers off because they're too cold for you to even notice."

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?"

"How about I give a suggestion?" Bilbo reached his hands to take Thorin's, closing them between his own. His hands were nice and warm. Thorin hadn't even realised how cold he was. "Let's just leave it here tonight. It's going to be cold tonight, I'm sure it'll be fine. Tomorrow we can get it cut and set up together and you can decorate it while I do some baking."

"You sure it'll be fine?"

"Positive." Bilbo leaned closer for a quick kiss. "Now, come on. Dinner's ready. Can't have you starving to death, after all, your mother and Dís would have my head if you missed the party."

"Eh, they'll be busy enough. The Ris are going over a couple of days beforehand so Fíli and Kíli will be distracted instead of hanging off their parents all the time."

"Well! That should be interesting for everyone." Bilbo tugged at his hands. "Now, come on, let's go inside. We need to eat, and after that," he smirked a little, and oh, just the sight of that made Thorin heat up a little, "after that, we're going to get you nice and warm."

And that? That was something he could definitely get behind. Or in front of, he wasn't picky.

At least he knew he was unlikely to get any more complaints about size.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin gets a surprise visitor by an unusual route. However, things soon turn sour because it appears Nori is rather unhappy with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt “Stop coming in through my window. There’s literally a door right there.”

The worst thing was, Dwalin wasn't even surprised.

He was lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling because this was obviously an excellent way of spending his time. It was certainly better than getting involved in the frenzy that inevitably followed any collision between Dís and a box of Christmas decorations, anyway, and there were plenty of decorations to go around in the mansion's deep closets. He could hear the cheery Christmas music even through the closed door of his room, a couple of corridors, and a staircase. It was a good thing Tuli seemed to actually enjoy his job description as a general gofer and stringer of lights or Dwalin might have pitied the poor bastard.

Anyway, he wasn't too surprised as he closed his eyes only to feel the slight breeze that hinted at an open window. He cracked his eyes open, seeing a familiar form inching its way through a window that had been firmly closed just moments before.

Honestly. Why did he even try?

"Stop coming in through my window." Dwalin rolled over to his side to get a better look at Nori. "There's literally a door right there."

"Well, maybe I don't want to come in through the door." Nori probably thought he sounded clever, judging by that stupid smirk. "I'm actually capable of using a door. I just choose not to."

"Well, maybe you could choose otherwise." Dwalin rolled his eyes. "You're in the next room over, it's not like walking down the corridor would be an impossible task."

"That also means that I don't have to climb that far from my window to yours." And of course he had to have a clever quip at the ready.

"One of these days you'll break your neck falling down and then they'll blame me for your foolishness." As though Dwalin would have had any concern for such things if Nori had actually been hurt.

Nori didn't respond, not quite, but he did murmur something. Something that sounded an awful lot like "maybe that's what I want."

"What was that?" Dwalin frowned, sitting up properly to get a better look at Nori. "Because if you're starting to develop self-destructive tendencies, I rather feel I ought to know."

"Oh, don't take it so seriously." Nori rolled his eyes. "Just, it might almost be worth it just to get you to admit that you're involved with me at least on some level."

"And what do you mean by that?" Not that he couldn't make any guesses, but this was kind of sudden.

"As though you don't know." Nori leaned against the wall next to the window, now, sticking his hands into his pockets in a way that was probably supposed to look nonchalant but only underlined the tension evident in every part of his body.

Dwalin sighed. "If this is about not telling my family —"

"Oh, of course not! Why would you ever think that?" Nori's voice was sarcastic enough that even Dwalin noticed it. "I'm absolutely excited to be your dirty little secret, now why would you ever think otherwise?"

"You know it's not about that." It had never been about that. "It's just, I do need to consider what it all looks like. I wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea."

"And what would be the wrong idea? That you're going to dump me for a younger model soon?"

"What?" Dwalin probably wouldn't have felt more shocked if Nori had actually slapped him across the face. "I'd never! I'm just worried they might worry about the stability of our relationship because of the age difference and all."

"Oh, yes. And that was actually a very good reason when we were first starting out." Nori's face twisted into a humourless smile. "Right now, though? We've been dating for two years, and the only reason I've even met your family is because my little brother happens to be friends with your tiny cousins."

"You have met Balin."

"Oh, sure, because his tea dates with Dori are the only reason I ever met you in the first place. If it wasn't for that, I probably still wouldn't even know you have a brother."

Dwalin should have protested, but honestly, he wasn't sure he could. He loved his brother well enough, but he knew better than to discuss his relationships with the old meddling fool. Instead, he sighed. "You never seemed to mind before."

"I didn't, not at first. But, as I said, it's been a while. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I was under the impression things are supposed to change."

"And things are changing." Even if he couldn't convince Nori of it right now, not without giving up things he was trying to keep secret for another little while. "Actually, I was going to ask you if you'd be fine with my telling my family over Christmas. Not yet, though, I'd rather like to have it all over with at once."

"Were you, now." Nori didn't sound too convinced.

"I was. I still am." Dwalin ran a hand over his head, trying not to think about the way his hair was thinning, far too early for his liking. Maybe he should just shave it all off. "Let me show you, Nori. Let me prove that I'm not ashamed of you or whatever it is you think I'm doing. I just need a little more time to do it properly."

Nori eyed him dubiously for a while, then finally sighed. "Fine. But this had better be good." He narrowed his eyes, and added, "Otherwise, you won't have to worry about how to introduce me to anyone at all."

Dwalin should have stayed silent. He should have kept his mouth shut and not said anything that might make the situation worse. However, with pain and fear and frustration all boiling up inside him, he found his mouth moving on its own. "Did you actually have a reason for climbing into my room, or did you only come here to pick a fight?"

"Mostly? I just wanted to spend some time with my boyfriend while everyone else is busy with the decorations and other shit like that. But since you apparently don't want me coming in through the window, and I know you don't actually want me coming in by the door where anyone could see, I've decided I shouldn't be here at all." Then, before Dwalin could utter anything but the most token protests, he turned around and left by the same window he had arrived through.

Dwalin sat on his bed, staring down at his hands. This was a predicament, indeed.

He could only hope he could convince Nori of his good intentions.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unfortunate mishap means that Dori and Frerin have to take the boys shopping without Dís or Tuli. Ori has some ideas about who they should be giving gifts, and Kíli also has a little secret of his own.
> 
> Good thing Dori very much understands the value of special friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "Person A breaks something, person B has to bring them to the hospital".

It started, as many bad things do, with a crash.

Dori was currently in the kitchen, checking in on a spice cake he had in the oven, when a loud crash rang out from the direction of the entrance hall, followed by yelling. He quickly closed the oven and hurried in the direction of the noise.

The sight that met him wasn't the most promising, for all that his mind had already thought up several even worse scenarios. Dís was kneeling beside her husband, frowning as she inspected him. Tuli's face was pained and his jaw clenched in the time-honoured sign of trying not to swear in front of the kids who had also rushed over to see what was going on.

"What happened here?" Dori frowned. "Are you all right?" The glare Tuli sent his way answered that, at least.

"His foot slipped on the ladder." Dís nodded up to the ladder with a string of lights only half strung up on the wall above it. "And while I'm no expert, his arm really doesn't look good."

"Doesn't feel good, either." Tuli gasped as he shifted, his face contorting with the pain. "I think it's probably broken."

"Seems like a working hypothesis." Dís sighed. "Come on, I'll drive you to the hospital. Dori? I hate to ask this, but could you please keep an eye on the boys?"

"Of course." Dori nodded, already gathering the children closer. Ori huddled close to his legs anyway, no doubt startled by the commotion, while Fíli and Kíli were wavering between curious and worried over their father's predicament. "How should I handle the shopping trip, though?"

"Yeah!" Fíli drew himself up, as though only now remembering they were supposed to go shopping for Christmas presents later. "We need to go shopping!"

"Ah. Ask Frerin to help you?" Dís was helping Tuli to his feet, careful not to jostle his arm too much. "He shouldn't be doing anything special today, I don't think, and he's usually quite happy to go out with the boys. The boys know their budget, and I know they had their wallets ready this morning."

"Right." Dori nodded. "Don't worry about the boys, we can handle it. Keep us posted on how it goes at the hospital, all right?"

"Will do." Dís gave him a strained smile before gathering her phone and keys from the small table near the front door and ushering Tuli outside.

"Well, then." Dori glanced at the gathered boys. The distraction would probably be the best way of dealing with this. "I'll have to get the cake out of the oven, but after that, we can leave whenever you boys would like. How about you go find Frerin and then get your wallets and outside clothes, and we'll go as soon as the cake is safe?"

"Yeah!" Fíli and Kíli brightened, now, all but dragging Ori along as they rushed off in search of their uncle. Dori shook his head at them. Children were so easily misdirected.

As it turned out, Dís had been right about Frerin being happy to help with his nephews. If anything, he seemed the most enthusiastic out of the bunch as Dori double-checked that the boys all had their wallets and then started herding everyone out into the car.

"So, here is our plan," he said as everyone was buckled up and he started driving. "First, I'll take Ori around and Frerin will look after Fíli and Kíli, so you boys can get gifts for each other. Then Ori will go with Frerin and I'll take one of you boys instead. And after everyone has been covered, we'll meet up again and go eat something. How does that sound?"

This was met with nothing but agreement, so he assumed everything would be fine. He might have worried that Ori would be nervous about going off with someone who wasn't Dori, he could get shy sometimes, but he supposed the thought of Fíli or Kíli being with him made the idea more palatable. Certainly he didn't seem too worried as they arrived at the mall and waved off the three Durins.

"So, let's not waste too much time pondering, all right? You want to get gifts for Fíli and Kíli from what I understand, so let's get that done before we meet up with them again. And Nori, right?" He did not mention himself, figuring that if Ori wanted to get him something, he'd do so when he went off with Frerin. "Anyone else? We'll get a gift for Dís and Tuli as a family, so you don't have to worry about that."

Ori looked thoughtful for a moment, clutching his little wallet to his chest. He'd been saving his allowance diligently to get his friends gifts, even doing extra chores to save up for this. Dori knew for a fact Fíli and Kíli had been doing the same; Dís didn't believe in spoiling her children just because they were well off. "Mister Dwalin," he finally said, sounding like this was the result of quite a lot of thinking. "I want to get him a gift, too."

"Oh?" Dori lifted his eyebrows. He hadn't been aware Ori had even noticed Dwalin beyond the basic introductions when they'd gone over to the Durin mansion. "And why is that?"

"Because he's Nori's special friend."

"Do you think so?" It was certainly news to Dori. "Has Nori told you that?"

"No." Ori shook his head. "But I saw Nori talking with him, and Nori was smiling that way he only smiles at home. And then I asked Nori but he said it's nothing, but when I asked Mister Dwalin he said he likes Nori an awful lot."

"Did he, now." Well, wasn't that interesting. "And you think we should get him a gift?"

"Yeah. Because he's Nori's special friend, and Nori likes him, and Nori should smile a lot more."

"You know, I agree." Dori smiled, ruffling Ori's hair. "How about we do this together? I can give you some more money, and you can pick the gift, and we can give the gift from both of us. Because you're right, we should have a nice gift for Nori's special friend."

"Yeah!" Ori smiled brightly. "I think we should get him a hat. His head must get cold since he doesn't have a hat."

"That sounds like an excellent plan." Dori nodded. "Let's get him a hat that's special enough for the most special friend."

They did find a very nice hat for Dwalin, and gifts for Nori, Fíli, and Kíli as well. Dori kept an eye out for some of the things Ori said were nice — of course he had the gifts more or less sorted out already, but a last minute addition might not be a bad thing if it was something he liked well enough.

Dori was very grateful sometimes that Ori didn't remember how tight money had been just a few years back. Sure, they still weren't exactly rich, certainly nothing like the vast and sprawling Durin clan, but at least he could afford to give Ori a proper Christmas now that he had a better job.

They'd just about finished with the more confidential part of shopping when a text from Frerin indicated that Kíli would like to switch sides. Ori swore Dori to secrecy and made him look after the gifts he'd bought before happily running off with Frerin and Fíli, chattering with his friend. Kíli was a bit more subdued, which somewhat surprised Dori; Kíli wasn't exactly a quiet child in his experience.

"So. What would you like to do? Get a gift for your brother, I'm assuming. Maybe Frerin, too?" Kíli nodded, wordless, then seemed to hesitate a bit. Dori felt his suspicions rising. "Is there someone else?"

Kíli nodded with all the solemnity a five-year-old was capable of. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course." Dori crouched down to look Kíli in the eye. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

"I want to get a gift for Tauriel." The end of the sentence was little more than a mumble, and Dori had to strain to hear it.

"Tauriel? It's that friend of yours, right?" He'd heard Ori mention the name once or twice, but he had to admit that was very nearly the limit of his knowledge. "She lives near you?"

"Right." Kíli nodded, a serious look on his face. "I want to get her a gift, but Fíli and Frerin would laugh at me. I have the money, too!" he hurried to say. "I did extra chores, even more than Fíli, so mom gave me extra money just for Tauriel's gift!"

"Don't worry, I won't laugh at you." Dori patted his shoulder. "How about you tell me a bit more about this Tauriel, so we can find her a good gift, hmm? And then we'll find something for Fíli, even if he's being silly and laughing at his poor brother for something that's not worth laughing at all."

"Right." Kíli nodded vigorously. "And I can help you find something for Ori, too!"

"That's right." Dori chuckled. "Well, then, my young friend, we've got ourselves a plan." A plan, and probably not too much time until they'd have to meet up with Frerin and the other boys before the children got hungry and whiny.

And if Kíli's description of the little girl next door included a lot of sighing over her beautiful red hair, well, Dori had promised not to laugh, and he was going to keep that promise.

Special friends weren't something to laugh at.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin and Bilbo arrive at the Durin mansion. This involves enthusiastic children, teasing brothers, and a hint of something going on with Dwalin.
> 
> Good thing Bilbo is patient.

Bilbo still felt a bit weird arriving at the Durin mansion.

It wasn't that he was from a poor background, anything but, but while the Bagginses were wealthy the Durins were downright rich, and Thorin was from the main branch at that. His parents' mansion, which was now also home to his sister's family and his brother, was the kind of huge usually only seen in movies, and the couple of times Bilbo had visited it before he'd been genuinely worried about getting lost in its endless corridors. Except now it was Christmas, and they had been invited over, and there was no way he could refuse after Thorin had visited his family for the holidays the year before.

He wasn't intimidated, not exactly. He hadn't met Thorin's parents too often, but he was fairly sure they had nothing against him, and he was definitely certain that Thorin's siblings and best friend approved of him. Dís's sons especially had seemed to take to him instantly, declaring him their favourite uncle within five minutes of their first meeting by the power of his cookies alone, and Thorin had assured him that nobody in the family could ever disagree with the lads. Even so, being as sure of his welcome as he ever could be, he couldn't help but feel a little out of place as they arrived at the grand doors of the Durin mansion.

Then the door was opened and he was very nearly bowled over by three little boys, and most of his anxiety vanished just like that.

"Slow down, there." Thorin picked up the nearest kid from the bundle that had attached itself to Bilbo's legs. Fíli squirmed until he was set down on the floor, but didn't try to attack Bilbo again. "How about you at least let us get inside first?"

"Uncle Thorin!" Kíli detached himself from Bilbo next, grinning brightly up at them both. "And Uncle Bilbo! Mom said we get to have cake when you arrive!"

"I'm pretty sure that's not all she said." Bilbo chuckled, looking down at his last attachment. This one was not as familiar, but he did recall an earlier visit. "Ori, right? Are you hoping for some cake, too?"

"Um, no." Ori glanced up at him, then hid his face once again by pressing it against Bilbo's leg. It took Bilbo some doing to make out the words he mumbled next. "Fíli told me to run into you."

"I didn't!" Fíli protested in a tone of voice that rather suggested they'd spent some time lying in wait for the perfect chance to ambush the guests. "I just said we should say hi to you!"

"Well, you've now done that." Thorin stepped inside after Bilbo, closing the doors behind them. He then glanced at Frerin, who was lurking nearby and trying in vain to conceal his laughter. "Don't tell me you set Fíli up to set up the rest?"

"Why, you credit me with far too much cunning, brother dearest." Frerin grinned. "Someone's got to be egging them on, with Tuli out of commission."

"Oh?" Thorin immediately frowned. "What's wrong with him?"

"Dad broke his arm!" Kíli's eyes widened to illustrate just how horrific this state of affairs was. "He was putting up lights and then he fell down and his arm went snap!"

"That's more or less it, yeah." Frerin shook his head. "It's a pretty clean break, so could have been a lot worse, but he's definitely out of the workforce for the time being. I'd almost accuse him of getting hurt on purpose to get out of the rest of the preparations, but considering the amount of painkillers they got him on I don't think he planned to do anything this extreme."

"You know, not everyone actually dislikes helping out." Frerin, Bilbo could handle. He very much reminded Bilbo of some of his younger cousins, always turning everything into a joke. According to Thorin the only time he'd been serious for longer than a moment had been the first few weeks after he'd returned from his tour overseas, only to return back to normal afterwards.

Well. More or less back to normal, anyway. Thorin had mentioned once or twice that Frerin sometimes seemed more distant, but according to him, it was still better than not having his brother return at all.

"I don't mind helping out! I'm just a bit picky about how I'm going to help, that's all." Frerin finally got closer and peeled Ori off Bilbo's leg, leaving him free to walk further inside and get the gifts off his arms so he could get his winter gear off.

Thorin sometimes teased Bilbo for wearing so much for even the shortest trip outside, but at least Bilbo wasn't complaining about the cold all the time, unlike certain people. Thorin probably wanted people to think he was above such trivial concerns as complaining about the weather, but Bilbo was the one who had to share a house with his whining and a bed with his cold feet. Hence, he had plenty of ammunition in store in case Thorin's teasing ever got too much. Clearly Thorin realised that, too, since he refrained from saying anything about Bilbo's multiple layers and instead helped him put away his things.

"I'm assuming we have the same room as last time?" Thorin shouldered his bag again. "We'll take our things and the gifts there for the time being, and you can make sure these monsters don't break anyone else." Bilbo might have scolded him for calling his nephews and their friend monsters, but the way Thorin patted Kíli's head made it clear he was only teasing them.

"Eh, it's more or less my task, anyway. Dís decided I'm not up for kitchen duty, so I was made designated babysitter for the time being." Frerin shrugged. "I just figured I'd better let them run about a bit, makes them easier to settle down tonight."

"Which also means they'll be up before five tomorrow morning." Thorin snorted, then glanced at the children. "Hey, how about you play hide and seek? You've got until count of twenty to hide, and then uncle Frerin will come find you."

"Okay!" As once the children scattered about, disappearing into the vast mansion. Frerin gave Thorin a sideways glance.

"I'm not even sure if I should thank you or smack you for that." Frerin rolled his eyes, but then brightened. "Hey, by the way, do you know what's up with Dwalin?"

"Dwalin?" Thorin frowned. "Nothing in particular far as I know. You'd know better than me, I think, hasn't he been staying here the last couple of days?"

"Well, yeah, but you know Dwalin, he's not exactly being talkative. I wouldn't think it's anything special, but, well, then Glóin came by." Frerin shrugged, though the way his eyes gleamed made it clear he was being anything but nonchalant.

"Glóin? Surely there's nothing weird about him visiting, especially so close to Christmas."

"Well, no. It was a pretty basic deal, dropped by a few gifts, apologised for not being here this year because they're visiting the in-laws instead, that sort of thing. But then he said something about wishing Dwalin good luck, and winked in the way that seems to say something is going on."

"I don't know about anything, but I might try to find out." Thorin smirked. "After all, it just won't do that Glóin would know something about my best friend that I don't."

"I did think it was strange, yes." Frerin grinned. "Tell me if you find out anything, okay? I mean, you wouldn't even know there's anything to find out without me."

"Oh, you'll be richly rewarded for your aid." Thorin nodded solemnly, then snorted. "Now run off and find the boys before they take the opportunity to go digging for gifts."

Bilbo watched Frerin rushing off, then turned to Thorin. He was still grinning, just a bit, in a way that didn't seem to hint at something more than just amused curiosity. "What do you know?"

"Not much. I wasn't lying when I said I haven't heard anything." Thorin shook his head, starting down one corridor, clearly expecting Bilbo to follow. "However, I have my suspicions, especially given the time of the year."

"And I suppose I wouldn't have any more luck asking you about this."

"Well, if I'm right, we'll find out soon enough." Thorin threw Bilbo a smile over his shoulder. "And I rather suspect you wouldn't want me spoiling the surprise, if I'm indeed right." Which was not informative at all, thank you, but apparently it was the best he would get right now.

Well. Bilbo was nothing if not patient.

And in the interests of holiday spirit, he would actually show it and not bug Thorin until he gave in.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas day at last, and nobody is more delighted than the children. Of course, when Dwalin reveals his little scheme, toys and trinkets are easily forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've mentioned Fíli and Kíli's father several times, but never actually written him properly. I figured it was about time to let him have his say.

Aside from the whole deal with the broken arm and such, Tuli had to say this was shaping out to be a very merry Christmas indeed.

Of course, he'd still been forced out of bed far too early by his overly enthusiastic sons, but that had been expected. Besides, it wasn't like anyone else had been spared the same fate. By the time he'd managed to drag himself into the living room with the grand tree and piles of presents, it seemed everyone in the house was awake, even the poor guests who did not have young children, grandchildren or brothers to drag them up. Bilbo at least seemed to be taking it all with good cheer, passing around mugs of hot chocolate, a clear contrast to Thorin's barely-awake grumbles.

The kids more or less attacked the presents, only Dís and Dori standing between them and the prospect of simply tearing everything open at once. They actually managed to hold the children back while Dwalin and Frerin made sure everything was distributed according to owner. Tuli would no doubt have been helping there, either handing out the gifts or holding back one of his sons, but with his broken arm he was left to simply watch from the side. It was almost peaceful, really, though there was enough pain to keep him from contemplating repeating the experience later, even in jest. And besides, this also meant he couldn't simply scoop up one of his boys into his arms or even properly hug his wife. It was simply not worth it.

Most of the adults were smiling at the kids, even those who were barely awake, murmuring to each other and enjoying Bilbo's hot chocolate. Only Nori seemed somewhat grumpy, sending an occasional glare in the direction of the present piles and those dividing it out. No doubt he would have preferred to still be in bed.

When most of the gifts had been given out, the children were finally given the permission to attack their piles of presents. Fíli and Kíli dived into their shares at once, with Ori not far behind.

"At least now we can be sure it actually is all kids who can't behave on Christmas, and not just our little hellions." Dís chuckled as she sat on the armrest of the chair Tuli had claimed for himself, leaning in to kiss his forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Less awful than yesterday, though that's not saying much." He leaned slightly towards her, careful not to jostle his arm while doing so. "I'm still sorry I couldn't get the rest of the lights up for you."

"Oh, shut up, you silly man." This earned him another kiss, though, so clearly she wasn't actually displeased with him. "Do you want help with opening your presents?" She nodded toward the few parcels that had been placed into his lap with rather more care than had been given to most of the other presents.

"Ah, that might be a good idea. I don't mind waiting a bit, though. The boys will want to show off their own gifts, after all."

Dís chuckled. "That, or you're hoping Santa actually got you that robotics kit I know you've been eyeing and you want them to be properly distracted when you open it."

"Can you blame me? I can hardly properly defend that which is mine with only one arm to work with." He gave her his best dramatic sigh. "And on top of everything else, the love of my life mocks me! Oh, it's a cruel hand I have been dealt."

"Oh, please, it's your arm that's the problem, not the hand." And why did he love her, again? Aside from her beauty and her sense of humour and her fierce heart and other such things, of course, though they were rather incidental. His wife should surely have defended him above all and not made fun of his predicament.

"You should be ashamed, really, making fun of my pain." He sipped at his hot chocolate, eyeing the scene. Everyone was opening their presents, now, commenting on this and exclaiming over that, occasionally thanking each other for a particularly thoughtful gift. Dwalin had acquired a very nice hat from one of his presents and was now wearing it, while Nori seemed even grumpier than before, ignoring everything and everyone with the kind of fierce determination usually reserved for those of teenage years. Though then, Nori was only nineteen, so Tuli supposed it was allowed.

"Everything seems to be going well so far, don't you think?" As he glanced up, Dís was likewise surveying their surroundings, though her gaze was a bit sharper than should have been allowed at this time of the day. Knowing his wife as he did, Tuli instantly grew suspicious.

"What is it you know that I don't?"

"I don't know anything, exactly. I just have certain suspicions." Her lips twitched. "And it really doesn't look like I'm going to be proved wrong."

"Oh?" Following her gaze, he found that Dwalin was now motioning Ori to come closer. Ori went with no apparent hesitation, which rather surprised Tuli. Ori was a sweet little boy, but he could also be painfully shy at times.

There were some murmurs between Dwalin and Ori, before Dwalin dug out a wrapped object from his pocket and handed it to the boy. Tuli's eyebrows rose high. A wrapped present was hardly unusual on Christmas of all days, but none of the other presents were quite like this. It was small, not very noteworthy as such, except for the deceptively plain wrapping paper, a deep blue with intricate silver symbols.

Glóin only used that wrapping paper on his most remarkable custom pieces.

Ori grinned, nodded at Dwalin, then rushed over to where his brothers were sitting. Coming to a stop in front of Nori, he held out the present. "Nori!" he announced, voice loud and clear even above the general chatter. "Mister Dwalin said you should have this!"

This, of course, gained everyone's attention. Nori sent an unreadable look Dwalin's way, only to be met with the worst attempt at an innocent expression Tuli had seen in his life. Then, because Ori was still there and would no doubt not back down until his objective had been fulfilled, Nori took the present and started slowly unwrapping it under the collective gazes of the entire family.

Dwalin, Tuli noticed, was getting closer. Not that this surprised him much, considering that the present indeed revealed a small, dark jewelry box that could only contain one thing.

Nori hesitated, now, and Tuli almost thought he wasn't going to open the box at all. Finally he did, though, and Dori, being nearest, gasped aloud at the ring revealed inside.

"Dwalin." Nori looked up, finding him standing right in front of him. "What is this?" His voice was tense, but not angry. Nobody else dared make a sound.

"I'd think it's clear enough." Dwalin got down on one knee, and now Dori wasn't the only one who gasped. "You're right, we've dated long enough that others should know, too. However, I don't want anyone to think my feelings for you are just some passing fancy, least of all you." Dwalin slowly reached out his hand, and Nori let him grasp one of his. "The last two years have made me happier than anything else ever has. I know this is a big step, but I know what I want, and I know you're more than capable of making up your own mind even if some people might think you're too young. Nori… will you marry me?"

For a moment there was complete silence. When Nori finally spoke, it was with a strained voice that wavered just a little. "You are an idiot, Dwalin. You know I'd have been perfectly satisfied with simply a mention that we're dating."

"Ah." Dwalin licked his lips nervously. Tuli wasn't sure he'd ever seen him nervous before, not in all the time he'd been dealing with the Durin clan. "Is that a no, then?"

"Now, don't be an even bigger idiot. Of course it's a yes." Nori's lips twitched into a little smirk. "I'll have you know I'm a possessive bastard. I hope you've thought this through, because I'm not letting go easily."

"Not bloody likely," Thorin murmured, and it said something about the general atmosphere that nobody even bothered to glare at him for his choice of words. "That one's Glóin's work, and no mistake. If he was willing to let Glóin know about his plans, and then waited months for the custom piece to be finished, he's too far gone for anything to change his mind."

"Aye. We Durins are a stubborn lot, as you probably already know. I lost my heart a while ago, it's only fair that others know." Dwalin finally chanced a slight smile. "So, may I put the ring on?"

Nori snorted. "I suppose it's only fair I let you stake your claim, since that's more or less what I demanded of you."

Ori beamed, clutching Dori's arm as Dwalin put the ring on Nori's finger. "See? I told you he's Nori's special friend!"

"Indeed you did, little one," Dori said, and he seemed to be wiping away tears with his free hand. "A very special friend indeed."

Then everyone was rushing closer with questions and congratulations and comments, and Tuli refrained from joining the crowd for fear of someone bumping into his arm. It would be fine, anyway. Most people were probably shocked at the revelation, he knew he was at least, but they would get over it soon. He knew the Durin mindset well enough after all these years, knew that if Dwalin was serious enough to propose, the others would not give him too much of a hard time, even if the age difference was rather notable in this case. His wife's family could be stubborn and ornery and bad-tempered at times, but they were also hopeless romantics, every last one of them. He could practically see Balin mentally composing his speech for the wedding reception already.

"Well, that's a rather fine end for the year," he commented. "Now we just need Thorin to get around to proposing as well, and we'll all be busy with wedding preparations for the foreseeable future."

"I suppose." Dís chuckled. "You know, I think I should go and get the champagne and sparkling water I was saving for New Year's Eve. We can get more before then, and this definitely calls for a toast."

"That sounds like an excellent idea, love." He grinned. "And afterwards, I'm voting for some coffee for everyone."

"Agreed." Dís leaned down for a quick kiss, then murmured, "And after that, once the boys are busy playing, we can sneak back to bed and I can give you a present that will definitely not require using your hands."

Tuli grinned, watching her walking away with a sway in her hips.

Oh, it was a very merry Christmas indeed.


End file.
